


Everything Is Chocolate Chip Cookies

by seibelsays



Series: Cookies ‘Verse [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2018-04-27
Packaged: 2019-04-19 20:09:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14244810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seibelsays/pseuds/seibelsays
Summary: Darcy just wanted a cup of coffee. She finds something else instead.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally a chapter in a completely different story, but these idiots had other ideas. This takes places sometime after AoU, but before CA:CA. Any mistakes are mine.

Darcy hurried along the sidewalk, with one hand clutching the hood of her raincoat in a valiant attempt to keep her hair mostly dry. If Jane hadn’t been in such need of a serious caffeine boost, Darcy wouldn’t have braved this weather, but the scientist was driving her up a wall and they needed a few minutes away from each other before either said something they’d regret.

Darcy was just about to release her grip on her hood to reach for the door of the coffeeshop when a man dressed in dark clothing and a hat stepped into her view and blocked her. 

“Careful where you’re going, dude,” she hissed, and tried to dodge around him without meeting his eyes. He continued to block her, and maneuvered them away from the door and into the small alley.

She struggled slightly, and was about to send 50,000 volts through him and bolt back in the direction of the Tower, when she finally met his eyes.

She knew those eyes.

Those eyes had been in her high school history books, they were on the wall of the Smithsonian. They stared at her from the pages of Steve’s sketchbook.

“Bu - hello,” Darcy stopped herself from using Bucky’s name. She had no idea what frame of mind he was currently in, but given that the only thing he’d done so far was gently move her away from a crowded space without ever actually touching her, she would place a hesitant bet that his brain wasn’t currently fixed on “murder.”

“I’ve seen you with him,” was the only reply.

Darcy blinked. There was really only one “him” that Bucky could be referring to, and she held fast to Steve’s belief that Bucky Barnes would eventually remember his friend.

“Yes,” she replied.

Bucky stared at her for a long moment, while the rain continued to pour from the sky and gather into fat drops off the brim of his hat.

“He trusts you.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes,” she repeated.

“Is he in the city?” was the quiet response.

Darcy’s heart broke. Bucky looked broken and terrified, although he was doing a valiant job at hiding it. He wanted to find Steve and couldn’t figure out how else to do it. He needed her help.

“I’ll call him. He can meet us.”

Bucky nodded slowly and took a step back from her.

Darcy pursed her lips for a moment. “It’s pretty nasty out. Want some coffee while we wait? My treat.”

Bucky stared at her, but said nothing.

Darcy took a tiny step forward. “This place is too crowded for my taste,” she said and gestured at the coffeeshop she’d be about to enter. “There’s a place down the block that usually isn’t as bad. We could go there and get out of the rain while we wait.”

Another long, silent moment passed before Bucky gave her a short nod and gestured for her to lead the way.

She led them out of the alley, her mind scrambling to piece together everything she knew about Bucky Barnes and what had happened to him. If he was as big of a mess as she’d been led to believe, she was going to have to tread super carefully. 

_Dear Brain, please engage maximum filter. I’d really prefer not to die for coffee today._

A few minutes later, she pulled open the door to another coffeeshop and led them inside. She approached the counter and looked at Bucky.

“Do you have a preference?” she asked quietly.

He just stared at the menu board.

“Too much. Okay. Coffee or tea?”

Bucky blinked. “Coffee,” he muttered after a moment.

Darcy smiled and turned to the waiting barista. “Two single-origin pour overs, please. For here.” Darcy paid for their drinks and led Bucky to a table to wait, while she pulled out her phone.

Her fingers shook as she pulled up Steve’s contact from her favorites and hit “Call.”

As always, Steve picked up on the first ring.

“Darcy?”

“Hey. Can you meet me? Think something of yours found me.”

There was a long silence on the other end of the line.

“Where are you?” Oh brother. Steve had his Captain America voice on. That wasn’t going to work.

She rattled of the address. “And Steve? Come in slowly. As a friend. I need Steve from Brooklyn, not Cap.”

“Darcy -”

“Everything is chocolate chip cookies, soldier. I am right as rain.” 

Another long silence as Steve contemplated her safe words. The code they’d worked out ages ago to let the other know that they were safe, they didn’t need a rescue. 

“I’ll see you in 10 minutes.”

Darcy hung up with a sigh, then threw a thankful smile to the barista as she picked up their coffees from the bar and took them back to the table where Bucky was waiting, his back against the wall. Darcy hesitated a moment before settling down in the seat next to Bucky, rather than across. She slid his coffee towards him.

He slid a knife towards her.

She stared. “I’m not going to need that.”

Bucky blinked a few times. “Sorry,” he muttered, but didn’t touch the knife. “Habit.”

“It’s cool,” she replied, evenly. Bucky was here, Steve was on his way, they were so so close to potentially getting him back. She’d never forgive herself if she spooked him now.

She blew across her cup, disturbing the steam curling up from the coffee, then took a small sip. Perfection. 

She rolled her eyes as she saw Steve sprint past the door, halt, and then attempt to casually turn around and come inside. She threw a look at Bucky that said Can you believe this guy? hoping to get a reaction, but all she saw was the hunch of his shoulders go from cautious observer to CODE BLUE in an instant. 

Figures.

She slowly stood up and angled herself between Steve and Bucky - keeping her back to Bucky, in such a way that he could still see Steve around her, but that Steve would have to go through her to get to him. She mentally crossed her fingers and threw a prayer up to Frigga that Bucky didn’t repay her by embedding that knife on the table into her back.

“Hey Steve. When you order your coffee, would you mind grabbing me a chocolate chip cookie?”

Steve’s eyes widened, but he gave a short, sharp nod and went over to the counter. 

She sighed and sat back down. “He gets excited,” she said, lamely.

“Never did know when to back down,” Bucky agreed.

Darcy looked at him in surprise, but Bucky’s expression was still blank.

They sat in silence and sipped their coffees until Steve joined them.

“Buck...do you know me?”

“You’re Steve. Your mom’s name was Sarah. You used to stuff newspapers in your shoes.”

Darcy bit her lip and tried not to smile.

“Why don’t you let Darcy get back to her day while you and I talk?” Steve said.

Bucky’s eyes widened a little bit and Darcy could feel him tense up.

“Or,” she replied, drawing Steve’s gaze sharply to her, “we could all hang out here for a few minutes and split that cookie you got me.”

Bucky slowly moved his hand over the knife that still sat between them and slid it closer to Steve.

“She won’t take it,” he muttered.

“I won’t need it,” Darcy replied.

Steve’s eyes moved between the two of them rapidly, as he put the pieces together. His expression turned grim as he decided he didn’t like the picture. “Why would I want the knife, Buck?”

“In case you need to put me down.”

Steve sat back in his seat. “Darcy says she wouldn’t need to - why would I disagree?”

“Contingency. Someone should always be prepared to do it.”

“That’s not the way we work,” Steve replied.

Darcy leaned towards Bucky and slowly put one hand over his. “Come home and we can prove it to you.”

He stared at Darcy, those sad puppy dog eyes searching for something in her gaze. He nodded slowly, before turning his gaze to their hands. She gave his a tiny squeeze before nodding to Steve. “I’ll go call Jane, let her know I’m taking the rest of the day to get this guy settled in.” She made to slide out of her chair, but Bucky’s hand gripped her wrist pinning her in place.

Steve tensed up, ready to bolt out of his chair and tackle Bucky right there if needed.

“Buck -”

“Hey you,” Darcy said quietly, cutting Steve off. “Something the matter?” She tried valiantly to not stare at the hand pinning her wrist to the table.

“Do you…” Bucky blinked a few times. “Do you live with him?”

That...was not a question Darcy was expecting. She smiled softly. “No, I don’t live in the Tower.”

“Will you…” 

Darcy nodded when he didn’t continue. “I’ll be around plenty. You’ll be sick of me.”


	2. Chapter 2

The rain had slowed a bit when they finally left the coffee shop. Bucky held the door for Darcy, earning a raised eyebrow from Steve. 

Bucky slightly holding his right arm out for Darcy to take as they walked earned a very slight jaw drop from Steve and a very amused smirk from Darcy.

“You offering to walk a girl home, Sarge?” she gently teased, as she tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow.

The smallest amount of warmth bloomed in Bucky’s eyes as a tiny small graced his features. Darcy counted that as a win and guided them in the direction of the Tower. 

“Girl could get spoiled, you know. Being escorted around by two gentlemen like yourselves.”

As they approached the Tower, Bucky slowed and steered her in the direction of the main lobby.

“I wasn’t the only one watching the private entrance,” he muttered in explanation. Darcy’s eyes went a bit wide and she saw Steve frantically tapping something into his phone.

“Main lobby it is then,” she replied, easily.

***

They arrived at Steve’s apartment without incident. Bucky stood awkwardly in the living room, dripping on the carpet. Steve looked a bit harried, wanting to stay with Bucky, but also needing to go hunt down whoever was also staking out the private entrance.

Darcy rolled her eyes at the two of them. 

Men. Honestly.

“You’re soaked through,” she said to Bucky and motioned in Steve’s general direction. “Would you like to clean up a bit while Steve finds you something dry?”

Bucky blinked, then nodded once. Darcy smiled. “Okay. Steve, show him your bathroom?”

Steve nodded. “Come on, Buck.”

The two men ventured down the hall. Once out of sight, Darcy slid onto one of the stools at Steve’s kitchen counter and gently thumped her head against the cool marble. 

Bucky. Flipping. Barnes. All Darcy had wanted was coffee and a little air.

Well, that’s not entirely fair. Steve was a good friend, and what he wanted most was Bucky Barnes back - so Darcy wanted that for them both. But she never in a million years expected Bucky to find her when he decided to come in from the cold.

And in what universe was it fair that he looked like one of her sad, homeless puppies from the shelter she volunteered at? A sad, homeless, breathtakingly gorgeous puppy.

Oh shit.

Darcy raised her head off the counter as she realized where she’d seen Bucky before today.

“Alright, I think he’s all set for now.” Steve slumped onto the stool next to hers and dug his palms into his eyes for a moment. “I’m just thankful that you found him before anyone else did. Thank you, Darcy.”

“Steve, I think he found me.”

Steve looked at her sharply as his phone chirped. He ignored it. “What do you mean?” 

“The first words out of his mouth were ‘I’ve seen you with him.’ And now that I’m thinking about it, I’m almost 100% certain I’ve seen him hanging around the animal shelter.” Darcy swallowed hard. “I think he’s been around for awhile. Think about it - he knew where our private entrance was, and that there were other people watching it. He caught me on one of my infrequent trips out of the Tower for coffee, and he’d seen the two of us out together before. When was the last time we went out for lunch?”

“Son of a bitch.”

“Yeah.”

Steve’s phone started ringing insistently now. He grabbed at it, jamming his thumb into the answer button without looking at the screen. “What?” he demanded, annoyed. Darcy couldn’t make out more than soft warbling from the other end, but whoever was on the other end was saying things that made Steve’s expression go stony. He hung up without saying another word.

“I have to go.” Pause. “I can’t go. I have to go. Shit!” 

“Steve.”

“I can’t just leave -”

“Steve.”

“This is insane. I can’t-”

“CALM YOUR TITS, ROGERS!”

Steve looked at Darcy like he was only just realizing she was still sitting next to him. “Darcy-”

“Go. I got this.”

“No way.”

“Steve, he’ll be fine. I promise. He wanted to come here, remember? He found us.”

“And what if he tries to hurt you?” he muttered.

“I’m not actually all that concerned about it. He had plenty of opportunity before, and now I’ve got FRIDAY watching out for me.”

“Always, Ms. Lewis,” came the disembodied voice from the ceiling.

“See?” She smiled at him. “We’re good here, go.”

Steve sighed and nodded. “I’ll see you soon.” With that, he left the apartment, the door clicked shut behind him.

Darcy sighed and peered down the hallway, making out the tiniest movement in the shadow and felt a tiny smirk tug at her lips. “Okay, sneaky, I see you,” she called. “Do the clothes fit?”

“He didn’t want to leave you alone with me.”

Darcy waived him off. “That’s because he’s worried about your safety not mine. You know who Thor is?” Silence. Darcy soldiered on anyway. “I put him in the hospital within the first few minutes of our first meeting.” Bucky stepped just out of the hall and into the soft light of the kitchen, giving her a once over.

“I see you judging. There’s more to me than meets the eye.”

Bucky’s lip twitched and Darcy decided she’d take it as a smile. “You hungry at all?” A shake of the head. “Tired?” Another shake. Darcy looked around the apartment and gestured at the TV. “Anything you’d like to watch?” Bucky blinked, then shook his head again.

A small laugh escaped her. “Help me out, dude.”

“Could you…could we see the puppies?” 

Well that was unexpected. “Puppies? Like my shelter pups?” Bucky nodded. Darcy froze momentarily. Taking Bucky back out of the Tower was a breathtakingly bad idea. She glanced at her watch to stall. “Well, I’m not sure we’d make it before they close for the day,” she began. Her eyes lit up as inspiration struck. “But I have an idea.”

***

Darcy mentally apologized to Clint for the absolute mess they made of his door when they...liberated...his dog from his apartment. The soft smile on Bucky’s face as Lucky preened under his attention convinced Darcy that any damages she’d be paying for would absolutely be worth it.

She gave Lucky a soft pat on his side and was rewarded with a tail thumping against her face. She giggled and closed her eyes to soak up a little more of the post-rainstorm sunshine currently warming the 57th floor balcony. “I see how it is,” she said to Bucky. “You just like me for my access to wonderpups like Lucky here.”

The soft smile slipped off Bucky’s face. “You’re nice. You’re good for Steve.”

Darcy stared at him. “Steve’s a good friend.”

“Friend?”

“Yeah. I could be your friend, too. If you want.”

Bucky frowned. “You’re not…”

“Steve’s girl?” Darcy snorted. “No. He’s as bad with women as the history books say, and even if he wasn’t - well, I’m not interested.” Darcy paused, considering. “Wait, did you find me because you thought - oh man. Hey, look at me.” Darcy waited until Bucky met her eyes. “I’m not here as a favor to Steve. You asked for my help and I’m happy to do anything I can for as long as you need it. And Steve? He’s wanted nothing more than to bring you home for as long as he’s known you were still alive. He didn’t come running when I called because he thought his girl was in trouble. That was all for you.”

“I don’t know if I’m worth the trouble.”

“That’s not really up to you. I choose how I spend my time. And right now I’m choosing to spend it with you.”


	3. Chapter 3

Darcy concluded that the universe was conspiring to make her a liar. Despite her promise that Bucky would see so much of her he’d get sick of her, science waits for no woman. Jane had been getting bizarro energy readings for days and had dragged her new team of interns out into the fields of Norway, leaving Darcy behind to parse all the data. She’d never considered the crazy hours she sometimes had to keep a hardship, but the resentment was growing a little bit each day.

A soft knock on the doorframe of her office brought her out of her reverie. 

“Hey Darcy,” Steve said.

“Hey there Steve. How’s it going?”

“Good good.” He paused and looked down at the small bundle in his hands before holding it out to her. “Think your sweater got mixed up with Bucky’s stuff again.”

“I was looking for that! Ugh, he didn’t have to wash it - I’m the one who spilled soup all down the sleeve.” She took the red cardigan from him and tucked it into her bottom desk drawer.

“I was wondering if you’d poke your head in on Buck before you head home? I have to run - something’s come up in Saskatchewan.”

“He’s welcome to hang out here with me, you know. He’d probably be bored out of his mind, but still. Other humans and all.”

Steve shook his head. “You know, there was a time when it would have made his day. I ever tell you about the last night before he deployed to Europe?”

Darcy’s eyes lit up. “No! You’ve been holding out on me.”

Steve chuckled. “The short version is that on his last night in New York, he drags me and two girls to the Stark Expo to see Howard demo a flying car.”

Darcy froze a moment, her brain not quite processing that image. “Let me get this straight. Of all the things he could have done his last night before shipping off to war, he wanted to go to a science convention?”

Steve nodded and Darcy snorted with laughter. “Nerd.”

Steve grinned. “He loved it. Some days I wondered if he signed on with the Howling Commandos because of me or if it was to work with the SSR.” His grin faded a little, and turned melancholy. “It was a long time ago - I don’t know how well he’d do in a lab these days.”

Darcy sighed. “I’ll get him down here one day. And I will be merciless in my harassment of his nerdy ways when I do.” She also knew that the mental image of Bucky dragging Steve to a science convention the night before deploying to Europe was going to keep her warm at night, but she was going to keep that to herself. 

“I don’t doubt it.”

“I’ll probably be done in another hour or so. I’ll text Bucky when I’m on my way up for a Pancake Party.”

“Thank you. Oh - if there are chocolate chip cookies everywhere, just. Don’t ask, okay?”

Darcy’s brow crinkled in confusion. “Okay?”

Steve sighed. He was doing that a lot these days. “It’s your safe word. Sam said Bucky was internalizing it a bit. He’s a little concerned but…”

“Chocolate chip cookies are amazing and there are far worse things he could be doing with his time.” Darcy rolled her eyes. “I’m sure it’s fine. I won’t say a word.”

“Thank you, Darcy.”

She waved him off. “Be safe out there, Cap.” 

***

Bucky opened the door and stepped back to let Darcy in, his smile hesitant and slow. It was a sad echo of the smirk that graced the pages of so many history books, but beautiful in its own right and Darcy thanked every deity she could name in the Nine Realms that she could be witness to it.

“Hey Handsome. Hungry?” A small nod. “Quiet day today?” A pause, then another nod. “Good thing I talk enough for the both of us then.” Darcy winked at Bucky, and was rewarded with a slightly bigger smile.

She puttered around the kitchen, humming a bit to herself as she mixed up the pancake batter and silently boxed up all 17 dozen chocolate chip cookies lining the counter. There would be some happy assistants in the labs tomorrow. She could feel Bucky’s eyes on her as she worked, and every once in a while she’d look up at him with the biggest grin she could muster.

“Mind setting some places at the counter? With just us, no need to fuss with the table, I think.”

Bucky nodded and moved around her to grab plates off the shelf. It was a practiced dance, one they did almost daily. It was routine, domestic. Safe. A dance Darcy would happily participate in the rest of her days if it brought Bucky an iota of comfort. 

She slid steaming pancakes onto their plates and wondered how much of the man currently wrecking the pantry in search of honey and blueberry syrup was shaped by what had been done to him while the rest of the the world thought him dead. He definitely wasn’t the guy she’d doodled cartoon hearts around in her history textbooks - but maybe that was partially history’s romanticization of an American Hero. 

She pushed her glasses up into her hair and rubbed at her eyes, heedless of the remains of her eyeliner. It didn’t actually matter what the difference was - she liked the Bucky that was in front of her right now. 

And it was becoming a problem.

The touch of a hand to Darcy’s back brought her out of her thoughts. Bucky was looking at her with concern, but she shook her head slightly and gave him a grin as she pulled her glasses back into place. Bucky smiled in return and slid the honey towards her as he took his seat. He poured blueberry syrup onto his steaming stack of pancakes and his eyes briefly fluttered closed as he inhaled the scent of it all. A glance back at Darcy with a nod of thanks, and then he dug in like he hadn’t eaten in days.

Darcy worried her bottom lip, and made a mental note to check with FRIDAY to make sure Buck had been eating properly. With Steve away so often and her schedule completely out of whack, she had no idea if he was taking care of himself. He looked fine, but he was still recovering. If no one was around to encourage Bucky to eat, sleep, shower, exist - he generally didn’t. Some days it was like he was still waiting for orders or permission. 

Which was why she was going to suck it up and keep her feelings to herself. Probably forever. She was going to die alone, forever pining for her grade-school historical crush and if that wasn’t the most pathetic thing since the latest trend of television reboots, she didn’t know what was. 

He trusted her, and she’d be damned if she let her inappropriate feelings ruin that for him.

***  
Bucky was putting the last of the dishes in the dishwasher when Darcy decided she couldn’t take it anymore. Her eye makeup was itching to no end and she was about to claw her eyes out.

“Be back in a sec,” she muttered and made her way into the bathroom. She tried not to look at her reflection, but her bloodshot and puffy eyes were screaming for attention.

“So attractive, Darcy,” she muttered to herself and pulled open the vanity to try and find the makeup remover she had sworn she’d left here a few weeks ago. Late night movie marathons usually lead to itchy eyes and Darcy had only needed to attempt to remove her eyeliner with Bucky’s handsoap once to make the executive decision to leave a bottle of her favorite brand here.

The vanity cabinet had been rearranged again. Darcy sighed and gently poked through trying to find the little purple bottle of magic liquid that would bring sweet relief to her itching eyes. 

Wait a second.

Darcy blinked a few times and took a step back from the vanity. The middle shelf - the one directly at her eye level - was now filled with her toiletries. A toothbrush, her favorite blue comb, and travel-sized versions of her toothpaste and face lotion. Did she bring all this stuff over? 

More importantly, since when did she have a shelf in Bucky’s bathroom?

Oh she was in so much trouble.


	4. Chapter 4

Darcy was 10 hours of code and spreadsheets deep and desperately needed a break. She pushed her glasses up into her hair and scrubbed her face with her hands. Coffee. She needed coffee.

She grabbed her phone and wandered over to the lab kitchenette. She abscently pushed the button on the coffee machine to start warming up the water while scrolling through her email on her phone. 

Asshat political candidates begging for cash, irrelevant news alerts, ooh a sale on yarn - save that for later, stupid random attaché for some “prince” that surely didn’t actually exist wanting to wire her $1,000,000. All the usual suspects.

Except.

Buried amongst the ads and spam, was one email from Darcy’s old Culver roommate.

 _Hey D -_

_This came across my desk. Rumor has it you’ve been goody-two-shoes adjacent and thought it might spark your interest._

_Maybe keep it away from Big Green._

Attached was a draft for new legislation, both international and domestic. 

Sokovia Accords.

The Superhero Registration Act.

Fucking monkey shit balls.

She glanced through the first few pages and wanted to throw up.

She needed Steve. Now.

And maybe Pepper Potts and her army of super lawyers because shit was about to get real. Frigga help anyone who tried to hurt anyone Darcy claimed as her own.

***  
Steve was still on radio silence, and Pepper was on West coast time, so Darcy was left to angrily pace the common kitchen. She’d grabbed her tablet so she could more easily parse the documents her friend had sent and was getting angrier with every line.

The elimination of due process. Summary execution. A FUCKING EXTRAJUDICIAL UNDERWATER PRISON.

Gods-fucking-dammit she wanted to cry.

She’d bet everything she had on who they’d aim it all at first, too. She wasn’t stupid, and hadn’t been out of the game so long as to see which way the wind was blowing. 

She’s also fairly certain she could power the whole of the Tower by the light of her rage alone. Hell, she was going to pace a hole in the universe without aid of the Bifrost if she didn’t find something productive to point her incandescent fury at soon.

“Darcy?”

The soft voice stopped her pacing and she forced herself to swallow her anger and reply with as even a tone as she can manage. “Hey you,” she croaked. She turned around to see Bucky staring at her from the hall, a tension in his shoulders that hadn’t been there since his first week in the Tower. Gods fucking dammit.

“What’s wrong?”

She sighed and locked the screen of her tablet. “Asshole politicians being assholes. Don’t worry about it.”

Bucky studied her, clearly not buying it.

She picked at her chipping nail polish, not willing to meet his eyes. “Remember last week, when we were plotting the best way to steal one of Jane’s telescopes and take it somewhere upstate? Think you might be up for that sometime soon?”

Bucky’s breath hitched.

Darcy finally met his gaze. “I will burn the entire universe to the ground before anyone forced you to do anything you don’t want to ever again.”

Bucky’s breathing grew harsh and he made to grab at Darcy’s hand when Tony Stark breezed into the room.

“Intern. Robocop. How's it hanging?”

“Shriveled and tits up, Stark.” Darcy unlocked her tablet and waved it in his direction.

Tony quickly scrolled through it, an ugly frown carving deeper into his features. “What's all this?”

Darcy swallowed hard and cursed her eyes that would not obey and look away from Bucky. “Draft legislation for an underwater prison. Indefinite detention for anyone the government decides isn’t playing nicely in the sandbox. Public executions for those they can’t bring in. You know, the usual.”

“How far along in the draft?”

“Person who sent it to me is a person who prints it out and drops it in the hopper.”

Tony stills, then his eyes flick to Bucky, who looks like he’s going to be sick. “Get packed. I need Foster and her two assistants at the Halifax Observatory in the morning.”

Darcy finally tears her eyes away from Bucky to stare at Tony in confusion. “Two assistants?”

“It’s a big fucking telescope, Lewis. You want to move it?”

“Someone needs to get ahold of Steve.” 

“They’re on their way back now.”

Darcy nods and reaches for Bucky’s hand. He jerks away but then slowly reaches back for her and winds his fingers around her own and they retreat to his apartment.

***  
“Okay. Game time. Anything you don’t want an alphabet agency to get their grubby paws on, I suggest we take.”

“Darcy.”

“Stark lawyers are good, but this legislation is fucked sideways with a nine-foot cactus. At this point, I can count the people I trust on one hand.”

“Darcy.”

“I mean. We have time. With this heads up, we have time for the lawyers and lobbyists to do their thing, and if there’s any grace in the universe, this will just be a drill.”

“DARCY.”

“And by Sif’s sweet ovaries of fury, the likelihood of this actually becoming law is-“

Bucky grabbed her face in his hands and forced her to look at him. “Darcy,” he whispered. “I’m not going.”

Darcy blinked.

“You go, get as far away from me as you can. If this blows over, maybe we’ll find each other again.” Bucky took a deep breath before he continued. “But it always comes down to a fight and I will not bring that to your door.”

Darcy’s eyes brimmed with tears. “Bucky,” she whispered.

Bucky choked out a soft sob. “Now you start using my name?”

“JAMES BUCHANAN BARNES YOU PACK YOUR BAGS RIGHT THIS SECOND YOU STUPID SELF-SACRIFICING IDIOT!”

Bucky blinked.

Darcy glared.

Bucky nodded and went to pack.


	5. Chapter 5

“Pepper’s got the lawyers, lobbyists, and PR ready to blitz this afternoon. We’ll have already crossed into Canada and should be pretty well off the media’s radar by then.”

Steve nodded. “Thank you, Darcy.”

“I’m just the messenger.”

He shook his head. “Bull. If it weren’t for you, we’d have been blindsided by this. Who knows what would have happened?”

Darcy snorted. “Secretary Ross would have showed up with a finalized bill three days before it became law with an ultimatum. I hate that guy.”

“I couldn’t have done all this without you.”

“Well, I can’t let Captain America down, can I?” she smirked, knowing just how much he hated statements like that. “It would be like watching baby bald eagles cry.”

Steve groaned and Darcy laughed and for one moment, things were okay.

She sobered and glanced towards the back of the Quinjet where Bucky was sitting. “I hate that I forced him to come,” she muttered.

“You did the right thing.”

“I forced him to come 10 minutes after promising he’d never have to do anything he didn’t want to ever again.”

Steve shook his head. “There’s very little he’s not willing to do where you’re concerned.”

“Telling me to bugger off and let him fend for himself is a funny way of showing it.”

“He used to be better with pretty girls.”

“Stop it.”

“I’m serious.” Steve smiled sadly. “You’re the best thing that’s happened to him in a long time.”

“Well, it was a low bar.”

“Only until someone raises it.”

***  
Settling in at the Observatory didn’t take long. Darcy was still a little unnerved that she hadn’t had to go back to her apartment to pack - half her wardrobe had been in Bucky’s closet.

Darcy closed her eyes and thumped her head off the bathroom door. She didn’t want to think about all the ways she’d inconvenienced Bucky, forcing him to work around her and her habits.

But not thinking is what got her into this mess in the first place.

All she’d wanted was to get to know him, help him if she could. Instead, she tripped over herself falling halfway in love with him and ended up making the poor man rearrange his life to accommodate hers. 

All the while she claimed she’d never force him to do anything. 

Feeling disgusted with herself, Darcy poked through her toiletry bag to dig out her toothbrush. Only this wasn’t her bag.

God dammit.

How in the Nine Realms had she ended up with Bucky’s stuff? Growling softly in frustration, she yanked open the door and stalked out of her room, down the hall towards Bucky’s room.

After three soft knocks, Steve opens the door. “Hey.”

She held up the bag. “Think I could get my stuff?”

Steve chuckled and moved aside to let her in. “I’m surprised you bothered to pack separate bags at all.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she grumbled, heading for the bathroom.

He shrugged and followed her. “I’ve seen the bathroom. And the closet. And-”

“I’ll fix it when we get back.”

Steve’s brow furrowed, as he leaned against the bathroom doorframe. “What’s there to fix?”

Darcy sighed and swallowed the urge to slam her hands on the sink. “You and me - we’re friends, right?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Like good friends.”

“The best.”

“Before Bucky came back, did you have a closet full of my stuff?”

“Well, no, but-”

“He came to us for help. The last thing he needs is my stupid heart stomping all over the place making a mess. He had to rearrange his bathroom cabinet because I left a bunch of stuff there for my own convenience! I never even asked if it was okay! Hell, I don’t even remember doing it.” She picked up her bag, leaving his behind on the sink.

Steve blocked the door and gave her the Concerned Eyebrows of Freedom. She really should work on getting that trademark for him.

“I think you’ve got this all wrong, Darcy. He wouldn’t let you get so close if he didn’t want you there.”

“Steve, I love you - but are you sure you’re talking about Bucky as he is today?”

“Yes.” He gaze never wavered from hers, a sure sign he was telling the absolute truth. “When he first came in, he hid from us, remember? We were in the kitchen and he hid in the hallway. Until I left. And then the two of you kidnapped Clint’s dog and he hasn’t left your side since.”

“I just want what’s best for him,” she mumbled. 

“Most days _you_ are what’s best for him.”

***  
The next night, Darcy found Bucky on the roof of the observatory. She carefully made plenty of noise with her shoes to announce her presence, because the door has a tendency to slam and she really isn’t up to explaining to Steve why Bucky backflipped off the third story roof.

“You were right.”

“Of course I was,” she replied lightly. “About what, specifically?”

Bucky smirked and it’s like looking at his picture in her 8th grade history textbook. “Can see way more stars out here than in the city.”

Darcy hummed in agreement but can’t bring herself to look at the stars instead of him. He’s lighter, somehow, out here in the middle of nowhere. Not that Halifax was nowhere, but calling it the Halifax Observatory was being very generous with geography. If only they were here for that almost romantic-sounding getaway they’d planned, to stargaze and just be in each other’s company, instead of running from the fallout of short-sighted politicians. 

“You look good - well, you look well. And sounding good, too...I guess…” She trailed off for a moment. “Sleeping okay out here in the middle of nowhere?”

“Thanks for shouting some sense into me,” he said softly. 

She huffed a derisive laugh. “You mean by forcing you to come when I specifically told you I’d never do anything like that?” 

Bucky finally turned to face her, confused. “What are you-“

“I promised you!”

Bucky’s eyes went wide. “No, Darcy. Look at me. You are the only person in this century who knows when to kick my sorry ass into gear. I was….” Bucky sighed. “All that stuff you and Stark were tossing around about legislation and alphabet agencies, it...I’m a mess on my best day. That was decidedly not my best day. But you?” He shook his head. “Hell, most days I’m convinced I’m going to spend the rest of my life apologizing to you.”

Darcy’s brow burrowed. “Huh?” She mentally facepalmed at her elegant response.

“There’s a reason I approached you when I wanted to come in, you know.”

Darcy nodded, confused. “You thought Steve and I were dating, that he’d come save his girl.”

Bucky shook his head. “It was more selfish than that. I was hanging around outside the Tower for months. You were the only person I ever saw Steve with that treated him like he was normal. And I thought...maybe, one day, you would treat me like I was normal, too.”

Darcy’s jaw dropped slightly. “I - don’t I treat you normal?”

Bucky smiled, ruefully. “You do. You have since the moment we met, actually. And I hated you a little bit for it when I thought Steve was sweet on you.”

“Uhhh…” Again, Darcy, with the elegance. Stop, you’ll blow him away. 

“He’s not, never has been. But my brain used to be put through the blender on a regular basis, so my interpretation of interpersonal relationships is not to be trusted.” He shook his head. “You’re the one bright spot in my days, Darcy. You’ve got nothing to apologize for.”

Darcy felt like the vice that had constructed her chest suddenly opened and she could breathe for the first time in days. 

“Lot of words in there,” she started.

“I read,” he replied.

“Bucky, I-“

“Darcy, your advice about Senator Brandt was genius. The domestic bill has been killed for now and the UN is sending theirs back to committee!” Steve burst onto the roof with oblivious enthusiasm.

Bucky froze for a moment then hung his head, and the rueful smile returned his face.

Darcy was fairly certain she was going to have emotional whiplash. “That-I’m glad.” She nodded, trying to clear her head. “That’s great. It’s not the end of this, by a long shot though.”

“No,” Steve agreed. “But in the meantime, I think Jane said something about celebratory brownies.”

“No one let her near the oven!” Darcy looked back at Bucky as Steve chuckled and hurried back inside. She reached for his hand. “Are you coming, handsome?” If slight tremor in her voice gave her thoughts away, so be it.

He reached out and laced their fingers together. “I’ve learned my lesson - I follow you.”


	6. Chapter 6

Darcy and Bucky made their way into the observatory’s communal kitchen just as Steve pulled a tray of brownies out of the oven and set them on a cooling rack. Jane saw them enter and grinned at their intertwined hands as she mixed up more brownie batter. Bucky wrapped an arm around Darcy and Jane gave Darcy a look that said she wanted details and soon.

“These need a few minutes to cool. Anyone up for a movie?” Steve asked.

“What was that one we wanted to see when I had the breakthrough on gravitational clusters?” Jane asked Darcy.

Bucky was abscently tracing shapes into Darcy’s hip and she had to fight to think coherently. This evening was going very differently than she expected. “Was it...the one with the dinosaurs? Or are you thinking of the bunny cop movie?”

Jane blinked and stared into the batter for a few seconds. “Dinosaurs, I think?”

“You boys up for some righteous dinosaur vs unsuspecting tourist action?” Darcy grinned.

“I’m game,” Bucky replied, giving her a small squeeze and she swore her heart stopped.

Darcy stuttered out the title and Steve went to go set up the film in the other room. Jane’s grin grew as she moved the batter into the pan and set the pan in the oven.

“How long do you think you’ll be hanging around, Doc?” Bucky asked Jane.

She shrugged. “Probably at least a week. However long you two are here, really. I’m just cover for getting you out of New York.”

Bucky’s brow creased. “What about your research?”

“The team can handle it for now and it’s not like I’m isolated or unreachable out here. Besides,” she shrugged again, “this is more important.”

Bucky’s eyebrows reached his hairline as he glanced at Darcy, while Darcy’s eyes narrowed at Jane. Conversations. Conversations were going to be had, well out of the ridiculous hearing range of their idiot super-soldier companions. But for now, there were brownies and silly dinosaur movies.

***  
The next morning, Darcy munched on a leftover brownie while she waited for the coffeemaker to finish doing it’s thing. She abscently wiped away the chocolatey crumbs she was leaving all over the counter and rubbed her hand over her hip. Bucky hadn’t let her out of his reach at all the night before. She spent most of the night tucked into his side as they curled up on the couch for the movie - and unless she had completely lost her mind, she was fairly certain he’d brushed a light kiss into her hair when the heroine saved the hero onscreen.

She kept replaying the conversation with Steve in her mind. Had she really misunderstood things? The realization that Bucky might actually share her feelings - might want more - made her want to weep with relief. 

And then also frustration because if she was wrong, if she had read him incorrectly, making any kind of move would be disastrous.

But if she didn’t encourage him, would he get discouraged and pull away?

Her thoughts continued in this downward spiral of anxiety and she completely missed the coffeemaker’s signal that her brew was complete.

“I’m not a scientist, but I don’t think you can absorb caffeine through osmosis.”

Darcy jumped and dropped the remainder of her brownie on the floor as she spun around to face the owner of the voice. Bucky had snuck up behind her and was leaning one hip into the counter, his opposite hand reaching for her.

“Hey you,” she stuttered, not quite capable of meeting Bucky’s eyes.

The small grin that graced his features slipped away, his warm eyes shuttered and his hand hung between them momentarily before falling back to his side. “Didn’t mean to scare you,” he muttered.

She waved him off. “Just still half asleep,” she lied. “Hence the coffee-osmosis attempt.”

Bucky nodded, but his face remained impassive. He was only a foot away from her but after sticking so close together the night before it felt like he was realms away.

“Want some coffee?” she asked awkwardly to fill the space.

“Did I do something wrong?” he whispered.

Darcy blinked. “What?”

“Did I...” his voice trailed off and Darcy was suddenly reminded of all the quiet days and halting conversations she’d thought they were long past.

_Get a grip, woman, this is BUCKY. Get over yourself and talk to the man._

“Hey.” She waited until his eyes met hers. “You have done nothing wrong, okay?” She reached for his hand and he gripped it like a lifeline. “I didn’t sleep well and I’m not caffeinated enough to for human interaction.”

He nodded. “Why didn’t you sleep well?” His thumb brushed across the back of her hand and she had trouble concentrating.

_Words, Darcy. You have them. Use them._

“Just a lot on my mind these days.” She tucked a few strands of his hair back behind his ear. He leaned into her touch and she mentally berated herself for being such a damn coward.

He nodded. “Darcy, last night I -”

A loud thump from the hallway stopped Bucky mid-sentence.

“Morning guys!” came the chipper voice of Steve Rogers, followed by an exasperated Jane Foster glaring daggers at his back. Jane mouthed a quick apology in Darcy’s direction as Darcy glared at both of them. 

Steve reached for the coffee pot, oblivious. He poured himself a cup and took a long sip before realizing that every person in the silent kitchen was glaring at him. He looked from person to person and then Darcy and Bucky’s intertwined hands. 

“I’ll...run out for a...newspaper.” And then he fled the kitchen.

Darcy rubbed her eyes. “Adults. I live with other adults who regularly are tasked with saving the world. We’re all doomed,” she muttered.

“I’ll protect you,” Bucky whispered with a tentative smile. Jane’s eyes flew wide and she spun out of the kitchen silently with a grin.

Darcy smiled and touched her forehead to Bucky’s. “Counting on it, handsome.”


	7. Chapter 7

Darcy plopped a plate of steaming pasta in front of Jane. “Eat,” she commanded with a smile.

Jane picked up her fork and twirled it through the noodles, coating everything in Darcy’s homemade pesto. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Ugh stop. I get enough of that from the Wonder Twins.”

Jane laughed. “It’s cute.”

“Sure it is.” Darcy sat down at the table with her own plate and dug in. “You know what else is cute? You pretending that you’re totally cool with your rag-tag team of newbies handling everything in Norway while you twiddle your thumbs here.”

Jane gave her a half-hearted glare. “Okay, first of all, they’re not newbies. The three of them combined have 14 degrees. Secondly, I’m not twiddling my thumbs. There is plenty to do here, between the data the team is sending me and the data I can collect myself here.”

Darcy just stared. If she’d learned anything from Natasha, it was that silence was a great interrogation tool.

“And besides, you needed me!”

“I never asked for you to babysit.”

“No, but -” Jane shut her mouth quickly. 

Darcy grinned in triumph. “Well, I know that you don’t jump if Tony asks, so that only leaves one person…”

Jane flushed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she muttered.

“Jaaaannnneeeyyy,” Darcy sing-songed.

“You’re one to talk! Who was wrapped up with Bucky Barnes the other night? I seriously couldn’t tell where you stopped and he began!”

“Yes, but we’re not here to talk about me.”

“I call bullshit.”

“You have a thing for Steve!”

Jane crossed her arms. “It’s not a thing. We’ve...gone out for dinner a few times.”

Darcy sobered immediately. “Wait what? You have? When?”

Jane blinked. “The first time was...a few months ago? A few weeks before I left for Norway. Darcy, I thought you knew. I thought you’d encouraged him to ask.”

Darcy shook her head. “I had no idea. Months? Geez, Jane. That’s...”

“Yeah.”

Darcy was suddenly sad, all the mirth draining out of her. “Since when don’t we tell each other about this stuff?” she asked quietly, staring at her pasta.

Jane shrugged and pushed her pasta around her plate. “We’re both busy,” she replied, lamely.

“That shouldn’t matter. Is it...have I been...”

“No,” Jane said emphatically. “We both just...let everything else come before our friendship. Call it a momentary lapse in sanity.” She finally looked up from her plate and met Darcy’s eyes. “Okay, new rule. No matter what we have going on, we have at least one girls date a month. Even if it’s just over Skype because we’re on opposite sides of the planet. No more lapses.”

Darcy nodded, tears pricking her eyes. “That sounds good.”

Jane gave a firm nod. “And if things work out, double dates don’t count, they’re just really nice bonuses.”

Darcy laughed at that. “Deal.” 

Both smiling again, they ate in companionable silence for a few minutes.

Darcy suddenly remembered. “Wait a sec - were you - oh my god Jane! You were coming out of Steve’s room yesterday morning!”

Jane flushed a brilliant shade of purple and focused intently on her empty plate, pushing the sauce around.

“Jane! Details! I need them!”

Jane looked at her with a wry grin. “You want details about someone you’ve repeatedly told me you consider a brother?”

Darcy made a face. “God no.” Paused. “Maybe.”

Jane snorted with laughter and the two dissolved into giggles.


	8. Chapter 8

Darcy turned over in her bed 376 times before deciding that maybe sleep wasn’t happening tonight. She knows, because she counted.

They’d gotten word that Stark’s lawyers were optimistic and that they should consider heading back to New York within the next few days. 

And that was great. Really. Darcy missed the city.

But here at their observatory, she had Steve and Jane and Bucky all within easy reach. Group dinners were the norm. Movie marathons were a regular occurance. It was all happy and lovely and domestic and so damn normal she might throw up.

Realistically, she knew that it couldn’t last forever, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t mourn it when it was over.

She dragged herself out of bed, pulled her hair up into a messy bun, and trudged out into the hall towards the kitchen. Maybe some tea would help. She’d found a box of dandelion tea leaves hidden in the pantry that brewed just the right balance of sweet and savory to satisfy almost every craving.

The soft noises of someone moving around in the kitchen made her pause. The beep of the oven signalling it was finished with the preheat cycle made her smile.

She peeked around the corner to see Bucky elbow deep in cookie dough. He was stirring a little too forcefully than necessary, so she shuffled her feet a little to announce her presence.

He froze when he saw her. She gave him a little smile but he didn’t respond. 

Darcy briefly wondered if she should try to back out of the kitchen and go get Steve, but Bucky blinked and nodded at her before she could move to leave.

“You’re up late,” he said quietly and resumed stirring.

She shrugged. “So are you.” He grunted in response. “I was going to put some tea on, do you want any?”

He shook his head.

She moved around him to put the kettle on and get her tea from the shelf. “So are we actually baking those cookies? The way you’re beating up the dough, they might be pretty tough.”

“You got a better idea?”

She leaned on the counter next to him so she could look at his face, which he was attempting to hide behind his hair. “We could just binge on the raw dough.” She reached out with one finger and stole a small lump of dough. He watched with amusement as she ate the dough, smiling up at him.

“Good?” 

She nodded.

“We’re baking them,” he replied with a small smile and swatted her hand away from the bowl with the spoon.

Darcy shook her head with a grin and settled onto a chair at the counter where she could watch him work but be out of his way. She poked at the tea ball currently steeping her leaves and stared into the darkening liquid. “So...sounds like we’ll be heading back soon.”

Bucky stilled for a moment, then continued to portion out the dough onto a cookie sheet. “Yeah,” he muttered.

“Any thoughts on that?”

He glared at her for a moment. “Too many.”

“Any you’d like to share?”

“What are you my therapist?” he muttered.

“Hey!” she scolded. 

“Sorry.”

They sat in silence, Darcy slowing sipping her tea and Bucky going through the motions of baking his cookies. 

He had just moved the first batch out of the oven and onto a wire rack to cool when he tossed the pan into the sink with a CLANG that made Darcy jump. He gripped the counter with both hands and sighed. “They’re clearing me for fieldwork soon. Probably when we get back.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Darcy chewed her lip. He was right - she wasn’t his therapist, nor did she ever want to be. But this was clearly bothering him and what kind of friend was she if they couldn’t talk about it?

“The cookie sheet seems to think you have a few thoughts on this.”

Bucky huffed out a bitter laugh and scrubbed his face with his hand. “Every choice I’ve ever made for myself was to follow Steve, watch his back. And the things I’ll be doing, I’m good at them.” An ugly look crossed his face. “About the only things I am good at.”

Darcy wanted to argue, but realized that if she spoke up now, Bucky may never get all of this off his chest. She took a long sip of her tea to help her hold her tongue.

Bucky looked at her intently, like she held all the answers to the universe in her hands. “I don’t...Does it make me a bad person to not want to do it anymore?”

Darcy set down her cup firmly. “Absolutely not. You don’t owe anyone anything.”

He sighed. “Where will I go?”

“What do you mean?”

“If I say no, I don’t want to go back out there. Where will I go?”

Darcy blinked. “Bucky....no one is going to throw you out.” He started to argue and she cut him off. “No, listen to me. Your place with us is not dependant on you becoming an Avenger. You’re with us because you _belong with us_. Even if Stark was stupid enough to try to kick you out, _and_ Steve hit his head and let him - you’d come with me.” She shook her head. “No. There’s no version of this where you’re stuck out on your ass on your own again.”

Bucky’s stare only intensified. “Darcy, I-” was all he said before the over timer went off again. Bucky gripped the counter so hard, she swore she heard something crack. “The universe must fucking hate me,” he muttered so quietly she barely caught it.

“We could have just eaten the dough,” she teased, half-heartedly.

She heard him inhale sharply as he pulled the cookies out of the oven. They were both silent as he moved everything to the rack to cool. Once that task was done, he slid onto the chair next to hers and rested his forehead on her shoulder.

“Darcy,” he whispered.

“I’m here,” she replied, stroking one shoulder gently. 

They sat in silence again, breathing each other in, Darcy tracing nonsense shapes into Bucky’s shoulder as he took measured breaths. Finally, he raised his head to look at her.

“You never use my name,” he murmured.

“What?”

“My name. We’ve known each other for almost a year. You’ve said my name four times. Two of them you were yelling at me.”

“Oh.”

“Why?” he asked, his eyes pleading with her.

Darcy blinked a few times and took a steadying breath. It really wasn’t fair that he ask her questions like this at this time of night, while looking at her like that. 

“I guess,” she started, weighing her words carefully for once, “I wasn’t sure what to call you the day we met. How you’d react.” She paused, and he waited. “And after…” she trailed off, her words failing her.

“After?” he prompted.

She gave a short, nervous laugh. “I mean, technically, we’ve never been introduced.”

He blinked at her and she braced herself, trying in vain to hold back the tears that were threatening to form in her eyes. It was a lame joke, to be sure, but how the hell was she supposed to explain to him what she couldn’t explain to herself.

After a short silence, he held one hand out to her. “I’m Bucky.”

She huffed a watery laugh. “I am so happy to finally meet you, Bucky.”


	9. Chapter 9

Word came in the following morning: they were headed back to New York that night.

It didn’t take Darcy long to pack up, so she was left to wander about the Observatory looking for anything her wayward friends had inadvertently left behind.

Once that chore was complete, she made her way to the roof to enjoy one last sunset.

She pushed open the door to find Bucky sitting on the edge of the roof, his feet dangling over the side of the building. She grinned.

“Don’t you dare kick any of the instruments Jane has lined up,” she teased.

“I know where they all are. I hung them, after all.”

Darcy settled down next to him, still grinning. “She’ll still have your hide.”

“She does scare me.”

“Anyone willing to date Steve should.”

Bucky snorted, but didn’t reply. His small smirk was enough for Darcy though.

They sat in silence for a little while, leaning into the other’s warmth as the sun went down, painting the sky brilliant orange and purple.

“So. New York,” Darcy started. “Do you know what you’re going to do?”

Bucky winced. Or maybe he was squinting into the fading sun. Darcy couldn’t tell. “I don’t want to hurt anybody anymore,” he muttered.

“You don’t have to. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want.”

Bucky hummed in response, but said nothing.

Darcy chewed her lip for a moment. “Do you know...is there anything you’d like to do?”

Bucky stared at her for a long moment, then turned back to the sunset. “I like what you do.”

“Me?” Darcy squeaked.

“You’re so damn smart. Jane jots down an idea on a cocktail napkin and a week later the two of you are rearranging the universe. It’s a little hard to not want to be close to that.”

“Me?” Darcy asked again.

Bucky chuckled. “Can never take a compliment.” He sobers. “I always liked science. Before,” he made a vague gesture towards himself and then out towards the sky with his left hand, “everything. And I might not be smart like you, but I can stay out of the way of an experiment. You taught me how to align a satellite and move the big ass telescope. I can figure out a place for myself. Besides,” he shrugged, “lab’s not so bad when you’re there.” 

That last bit was mumbled so softly it took Darcy a minute to decipher.

A slow smile spread across her face. “You want to join Team Science.”

Bucky shrugged noncommittally, but his eyes gave him away. This was a Very. Big. Deal. and it was costing him something to admit it. He was afraid.

“Smithsonian says you were an excellent student,” she continued. “And I know for certain that I am the best tutor associated with the Avengers. I have the certificates to prove it.”

Hope flashed across Bucky’s face, but he quickly covered it. “Yeah?” 

“Yes.” She wrapped her hand around his and he twined their fingers together with a small smile.

“Always so much faith in me,” he murmured.

“You haven’t let me down yet.”

Darcy means it, too. With everything she knows he’s been through and all the progress he’s made, he could never, ever, convince her that her faith is misplaced. She tries to push all of her emotions, her faith, her love - yes love, because they’re being honest and she fell for him a long time ago - into her expression. Her eyes willed him to understand.

“Darcy,” he whispered. And then stopped. 

The pause went on for just a little too long.

“Yes?” she prompted, a little confused.

“Sorry, I’ve never actually gotten this far before. I’ve always been interrupted.”

Darcy stifled a giggle. “Okay.”

Bucky cupped her face in his hands, leaned forward and kissed her. 

And woo was it was dozy.

Darcy was momentarily stunned, held frozen by the most passionate kiss of her life. Brain function returned swiftly, however, and she met him with enthusiasm. Her hand fisted in his shirt as he leaned back an inch, resting his forehead against hers.

“Please tell me this is okay,” he breathed.

“More than,” she replied, and pulled him back to her.

“Hey guys, the jet is here and - OH WARN A GUY!”

Darcy and Bucky both turned in the direction of the door, but otherwise didn’t move. Darcy giggled at the sight of Steve Rogers holding a hand over his eyes and blushing a furious shade of purple.

“Get out of here, Rogers,” Bucky growled. Steve spun around and retreated quickly through the door.

“We leave in an hour!” was the muffled shout as Steve hightailed it down the steps.

“I swear, I don’t know where I found him,” Bucky grumbled, pressing a soft kiss into her hair.

Darcy smiled. “Look on the bright side. Your best girl is already very familiar with your best friend’s quirks.”

Bucky stilled. “My best girl, huh?”

“If you want.”

“Yes,” he said, punctuating every word with a kiss. “Always. Yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY INFINITY WAR DAY!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading. I have some one shots and outtakes from this universe that I’ll be posting soon, so keep an eye out.
> 
> Until then, let’s hang out on Tumblr. I’m @seibelsays
> 
> May all your favorite bands stay together.  
> <3 seibelsays


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